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A WORD 



With 



BISHOP HOPKINS. 



BY 

JOHN M'LAUGHLIN. 



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(.37^. 



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^ JOHN W. HOPKINS, 

i BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF VERMONT. 






Eev. and Dear Sir: — I have read an article from your pen 
published in the Ledger of the 9th Oct., not with any amazement 
whatever. From what I had seen from your pen in defence 
of slavery, I had come to the conclusion that you were not 
a very bright genius, and but a very poor controversialist. Your de- 
fence of slavery from the Bible is too silly for me to notice. Any 
one acquainted with the argument for and against slavery must 
notice that it is only a rehash of old arguments that have been 
ably answered long since; and the morality of the Bible has been 
triumphantly vindicated as far superior even to that of a Bishop 
Another reason that I would not notice your Bible defence of slavery 
is, that I have a great respect for old institutions, especially in their 
dotage. Believing that dotage can do no real harm, why should it 
not be permitted to depart in peace ? The ignorance of the past age 
has been shouting that the earth stood still and the sun went round • 
intelligence knew better, and bore it patiently, and if the barba- 
rism of the present age goes down howling that slavery is rio-ht 
and just, and that the Bible says so, we know it to be otherwise. 
The day is ours; we can laugh and bear it; but. Sir, your article 
of the 9th inst, is such an expose of your principles, or rather the 
utter want of principle on the subject that it has tempted me to re- 
ply to it — not so much a reply as an advice, and to show you your 
inconsistencies— and I hope even a Bishop will not be unteachable, 
though the teaching may come from a layman. Sir, you feel sore 
under the charge of sympathizing with Eebelliou, which Bishop 
Potter brings against you. I think the more of you for it. I 



[ 2 ] 

have some Hopes of you yet. Your defence is, tliat your letter 
was written three months before the war began, v/hen no one could 
anticipate what form of government the Southern States would 
adopt. In reply I v/ould remind you that it was well known for 
years before that event, that if the slaveocracy would ever put 
their threats of rebellion in practice, it would be for the strength- 
ening and preserving of the institution of slavery. These men 
foresaw, no false prophets either, that no guarantee which the 
United States government or constitution would give, could with, 
stand the change of sentiment against it that was discovering it- 
self everywhere, as its horrid cruelty and dreadful injustice were be- 
coming better known ; and as the people began to have a better 
knowledge of the duty they owed to each other they saw it must be 
taken under their own protection, and their form of government 
founded upon its righteousness, othervyise they knew it must be 
overthrown. With these facts before you I think your ignorance 
of what form of government the rebels would adopt is very inex- 
cusable, and when you would attempt to defend as right and just 
the foundation of the rebel government, you are not only a sym- 
pathizer with the rebellion but a rebel at heart, though you may 
not see it; for a man that cannot see coming events three months 
ahead cannot be expected to see much. " No one could anticipate 
what form of government the Southern States would adopt." 
Why do you charge others with your ignorance? You are guilty. 
Sir, of an unjust accusation, with which you accuse Bishop Pot- 
ter. Besides, I think your views in support of man-stealing are 
not only unworthy of a servant of Jesus Christ, but unworthy of 
even a citizen of the world, perhaps not of your American citizen. 
Again, you seem to take credit to yourself by admitting the right 
of Abolition, Now, Sir, let me tell you that Abolitionists are not 
to be blarneyed by such as you. If slavery be a Bible institution, 
which you labour to show, we know that Bible institutions are 
given to be fulfilled, not abolished: this much, a Bishop at least 
ought to know. The Sabbath is also a Bible institution, and I 
suppose, if it suited your interest or your prejudice, you would 
abolish it also; nevertheless, Sir, slavery will be abolished, not by 
Abolitionists, but by itself: it will work its own cure, like every 
other system of iniquity, filling up its own cup of indignation un- 



//C 

[ 3 ] 

til in its madness it runs over. Slavery has taken up the sword 
and I have full faith that it will perish by the sword. You say 
that m the relation of master and slave there was nece.mrihj no sin 
i leave this expression undiscussed until you avow yourself a Pa- 
pist. I have no intention of entering the intricate mazes of Po- 
pish casuistry. If Bishop Potter's conduct respecting the evil of 
slavery, according to your showing, be true, it has not been what 
1 could wish. I suppose Bishop Potter is not much better or 
worse than most other men. It has been too much the habit of 
men in every walk of life, ministers of the Gospel not excepted 
to remain sinfully silent while the poor, the weak, and the de-' 
fenceless were suffering the evil effects of slavery. This was neither 
manly nor generous, not to speak of its unworthiness of Christianity 
or brotherly love. But the evil of slavery has now come horn; 
and laid its iron grasp on the strong as well as the weak, forcing 
them now to the other side at this, the eleventh hour. They must not 
think too hard of us if we say they are only consulting their own 
interest; still it is a good sign to see so many range themselves on 
the side of the Lord against the mighty, be their motives what 
they may. Besides, I have a respect for the men who turn from 
their wickedness, as I pity those who have gray hairs upon them 
but know It not. I cannot pass from this subject without express- 
ing my admiration of the few, I may say goodly number of minis- 
ters of the Gospel, who have boldly stood up in defence of human 
rights and who have not been afraid to lift up their voices against 
sm m high places. Coming generations will not be unmindful of 
their faithfulness. They shall and will have their reward 
_ The doctrine of the universal church, which was unanimously 
m tavour of slavery for eighteen centuries, you think, is a conclu- 
sive argument in favour of its lawfulness. Do you mean to in- 
sinuate that there is nothing sinful except the ch;rch has defined 
It to be such? You cannot palm such Popish nonsense on a Pro- 
testant community. If you have been kissing the Scarlet Strum- 
P3t, which I much fear you have, you ought to use a little discre- 
tion, and do It in the dark. I see you intend to inflict another of 
your books upon society, in which you intend to produce your 
proofs for the truth whereon you stand. I think it will take you 
to be very busy writing, as the time is short, not your time, (which 



. [ 4 ] 

I liope may be lengthened a century,) but tte time for tlie existence 
of this evil is fast passing away, and if you expect to reap a harvest 
of glory by being its last champion, improve well your time. Yes, 
Sir, I would advise you to write, write, write. When you thrust 
your productions before the public you do not know the amount 
of injury you are doing the system which you wish to perpetuate. 
J would have you not to be too sanguine of the success of your 
book, though you advertise it beforehand. I fear it will not meet 
with much success, as many of the class for whom you write can- 
not read, and a great many of them have no inclination to read 
your book, or any other ; and your success, I fear, will not equal 
that of Uncle Tom's Cabin or Kemble's Journal, and that will be 
a pity, seeing it is a Bishop that is father to the hantling. 

Sir, I have encouraged you to write ; I can farther inform you 
of the existence of a large class of men who endorse your views. 
I am also able to show you by practical personal observation that 
what I assert is true. If 3^ou come on here, we will test it by visit- 
ing all the purlieus of vice in this city, and you will find that 
ninety-nine out of every hundred of those who are found in such 
places are stanch supporters of this "truth whereon you stand ;^^ 
that the harder the swearer, the more irreverent the blasphemer, 
the greater the scoundrel, the more complete the ruffian, the 
stronger will he assert the " truth whereon you stand." And then, 
if you please, we will visit the other and more respectable walks 
of life, and you will find that a very large majority of the igno- 
rant, the uneducated, the unscrupulous, the selfish, and unprin- 
cipled, are disciples of yours, and I believe I am not uncharita- 
ble when I say — like cause like people. Sir, we have much cause 
for thankfulness that we are able to proclaim that this great Ba- 
bylon of Iniquity is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation 
of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every un- 
clean and hateful bird. Therefore, we would advise this nation 
which this great Babylon hath so long lured on with her sorceries^ 
to reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her dou- 
ble, according to her works, in the cup which she hath filled fill 
to her double. But in justice to the fore-mentioned class of men I 
must not omit to mention, that as a general thing they sympathize 
with the oppressed, while your only sympathy is with the oppressor^ 
and there is still some need for your book to corrupt them more. 



//7 



[ 5 ] 



You speak so glibljabout jour cburcli and her Apostolic claims, 
wliicli means, I suppose, lier Apostolic succession, that it looks as 
if John W. Hopkins, Bishop of Vermont, the champion of the law- 
fulness of oppression, and robbsrj, and wrong, would claim the 
legitimate succession, the only true descent of that gentleman, who 
centuries ago, wrote that little letter, so full of Christian love and 
sympathy, and tenderness, to Philemon by Onesimus, his returned 
servant, not to treat him as a servant, but a brother beloved in the 
Lord. We happen to know something of the mind of Paul, and 
we are perfectly sure that he would spurn such a relationship, even 
though a mitre was fixed to the head of his pretended relation. I 
have noticed that you charge the church with admitting the right 
of slavery for eighteen centuries ; but whether by the authority 
of the church or of the synagogue of Satan, you do not state. I 
am not inclined to turn over church history to see if this be a fact, 
which I much doubt. Your assertion is not sufficient proof with- 
out your authorities ; but if such be the fact, it does not follow 
that slavery is right, but goes to prove how very corrupt the 
church, which claims to be Christ's church, has been in every age ; 
neither can it be true of the synagogue of Satan: he is represented 
as a Prince, and as such could not stoop to the meanness to head 
a slavery-defending church, but has left it out to be neither hot 
nor cold — the production of the meanness, the cruelty, the selfish- 
ness of our own corrupt nature — a church that has no resting 
place for the sole of her foot in any civilized country except in 
these United States, where she is fast filling up her cup of iniquity, 
and is going out in darkness and confusion of face. "I shall 
prove from that book, by the most unquestionable authorities, that 
slaveholders were in the church from the beginning." But does 
this prove, Sir, that slavery was right, or is right? A mere boy 
ought to be ashamed of such logic. Again, the Bishop says, "that 
slavery was held to be consistent with Christian principle by the 
Fathers and Councils, and by Protestant Divines and Commen- 
tators up to the very close of the last century, and that this fact 
was universal among all Churches." Now, Sir, allow me to ask 
you if this be all the proof that you intend to bring forward in your 
book — that slavery, the sum of all villanies, is right because it 
was so from the beginning, because Fathers and Councils said so, 



[ 6 ] 

and because Protestant Commentators, out of their own corrupt im- 
aginations, made their Bible not the Bible say so. I believe your book 
will be only for two classes ctfyour disciples, namely, those who will 
not read it, and those who cannot read it. Any man, Sir, of com- 
mon sense will see that your authorities are no proofs at all. Because 
a thing was held and practised in the dark ages, does that make it 
right now? Have not unreasonable prejudice, and blind ignorance 
been in the church since the beginning? Then, according to your 
mode of reasoning, they should be held and practised by us. Has 
not Anti-Christ been in the church since the beginning, and is not 
Anti- Christ as old as the devil, and if being in the church sancti- 
fies the error, as you would have us to believe, therefore Anti- 
Christ ought now to be Christianity, and Satan a saint. Because 
the rulers of the church have erred, should their doings be 
laid to the charge of the whole church? No, Sir, we of the nine- 
teenth century are beginning to see that the rulers of the church 
do not constitute the church, for if it did it would be often anything 
sometimes but the church of Christ. 

We believe, Sir, that the church, even in her darkest days, has 
had a witnessing people, who, through their unfaithfulness may not 
have raised a testimony against oppression ; have nevertheless not 
bowed the knee to Baal; and if you have no stronger proofs of the 
righteousness of slavery than what you promise in your forthcoming- 
book, it is the more ridiculous, and you fail of your object. " When 
we lift our voice or pen in defence of iniquity, we are Anti-Christ." 
This proposition seems strange ; nevertheless it is true. Further, 
no man can defend slavery as right without being a Papist for the 
time being; and I do not think it strange if Bishop Hopkins be 
no exception to the rule. I accuse Bishop Hopkins of teaching 
and defending Anti- Christ in his defence of slavery, and as the 
most devout worshipper of the Beast. I accuse him of being guilty 
of opposing Christ, making the command of Christ — " that ye ought 
to love one another as I have loved you," of no avail. I accuse 
him of the most irreverent blasphemy, when he would dare to at- 
tempt to make the just and merciful G-od the author of the insti- 
tution of slavery. Let any man, if he possesses anything like a 
correct knowledge of what Christianity is, examine tlie volumes of 
published sermons that have been preached to the slaves ; then let 



//<> 



[ 7 ] 



him examine a number of discourses delivered to their hearers by 
the ministers of the church of Rome, and he cannot but see that 
Christ as Christ is entirely excluded, -that heaven is held out to 
the slaves as the reward of obedience to tlieir masters; and the 
other, obedience to the church. Such teachings are decidedly Anti- 
Christ ; they bear the impress of the image of the Beast, and it mat- 
ters little whether he show the likeness of a leopard, or the feet of 
a Bear. We believe that salvation is not influenced in any way, 
not even by the most perfect obedience to the law, Avhcther it be 
human or divine ; that salvation wholly, entirely, and completely 
belongs to Christ, that the performance of any duty, whether to 
God or man, in order to obtain salvation, is one of the heads of 
Blasphemy which the Beast has kept so prominently before the 
Christian world, the plausibility of w^hich has deceived, if it were 
possible, the very elect. If the sermons which I have seen be a fair 
specimen of what has been preached to the slaves, then Christ has 
not been preached to the people, but the doctrine of Devils, which is 
Anti-Christ. To preach Christ is to make the people free: to preach 
Christ is to preach abolitionism — to break the yoke of the oppressed, 
and let the prisoner go free. True Christianity is founded on love — 
God is love — He is no respecter of persons, and the love of Christ 
in his people levels all distinctions fostered by pride, and makes them 
all one in Him. Christ has been the only great Abolitionist that has 
ever appeared ; and love for the brethren has been the axe that He 
has laid at the root of the tree of oppression ; and as sure as God's 
promise is true, so sure will the tree fall upon the oppressor and 
grind him to powder. 

Now, Sir, we must plead guilty to the crime, if crime it be, 
of not believing in the infallibility of great men, not even fa- 
thers in the Church ; neither do we receive the decisions of Coun- 
cils or Churches as infollible, but we prefer to try all things for 
ourselves by the Word and testimony of the Spirit. Therefore, 
if we were determined to build another house, we would as soon 
build it on John Hopkins, Bishop of Vermont, rotten and all as 
we believe the foundation would be, as upon any of tlie fathers or 
Councils of the past or present age. Sir, it is this trusting in Egypt, 
it is this leaning on an arm of flesh, that has wrought such mischief 
in the church now, as it did in the days of Hosea, when he wrote 



[ 8 ] 

by the Spirit, "Ye have ploughed wickedness, ye have reaped ini- 
quity, ye have eaten the fruit of lies, because thou didst trust in 
thy ways, in the multitude of thy mighty men," When you speak 
of Councils and Fathers in connexion, it appears to us you intend 
to shelter yourself and your pet iniquity under the skirts of the 
great Whore ; but we would advise you that her skirts have be- 
come so much extended by reason of so many Protestant Divines 
seeking shelter under them that there is hardly any more room '■ 
besides, her skirts have become so thin that even the dull eyes 
of laymen can see plainly through them. We believe such hiding- 
places are anything but creditable to a Protestant Bishop, who 
claims the only right of descent from the Apostles. 

You say, " The nineteenth centurj^ is a century of vast improve- 
ments," &c. This is an excellent acknowledgment coming from 
l/ou, and let me also add that while everything else has been 
moving and improving, your church, (I mean the slavery-defending 
church,) has been standing still. To this you assent. Is it any 
wonder, then, Sir, that she is stinking in the land? You talk so 
complacently of your church and her claims to infallibility that 
one would think she was to go down to all succeeding ages as a 
model for Christianity, past, present, and to come. But, Sir, we 
cannot join with you in your gratulations, because we are sure that 
your Liturgy, with its popish likeness and its ceremonial nonsense, 
is not able to contend Avith Him who has said, " Behold I make all 
things new;" neither is our own Confession of Faith what it ought 
to be. We believe that it is indebted too much to Eome for many 
of its doctrines, and I hope the time is not far distant when our 
church will feel the necessity of a more enlightened knowledge of 
Christ through the operation of the Spirit, and of a closer fellow- 
ship with the spiritual truths of the Bible. I hope intelligent Pro- 
testants will understand me when I say that I am not a believer 
in the infallibility of our Protestantism, We believe the dividing 
line between Popery and Protestantism is neither so well defined 
nor so broad as it ought to be. Nay, not a line, but a gulf, which 
the church of Christ ought to keep continually widening, and 
widening, and widening, until the church of Christ will be as far 
separated from Anti-Christ as heaven from hell, then, and not till 
then, will our church be, what she ought, and what we have hopes 



//f 

[ 9 ] 

she will be — a Protesting Clmrcli ; but tbis cannot be accomplisbcd 
tlirougli conventions of men, nor through the dead letter of forms 
of faith, bat only by the work of the Spirit, not with the Church, 
but in the Church individually — making known the sufficiency, 
the glor}'-, and the excellence of Christ, and when this is done, as 
it certainly will be, then will the Church be satisfied with Christ; 
This shall be the forerunner of the descent of the Holy Jerusalem 
from God out of heaven, having God's glory, the glory of which 
the inspired Apostle was able only to allegorize the result of. 
'^ There shall be no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and 
the Lamb are the Temple of it." " And the city had no need of the 
sun, neither of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of the Lord 
did lighten it, and the Lamb was the light thereof" "And the na- 
tions of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and 
the Kings of the earth do bring their glory into it." 

But in religious truth, or reverence for the Bible, the age in 
which we live is prolific in daring and impious innovations. True,* 
Sir, for you; I grant you this ; and no person is more chargeable 
with innovations than John W. Hopkins, Bishop of Vermont, — 
who would dare to charge the Almighty with instituting one of 
the meanest, most wicked and cruel aristocracies that has ever been 
invented by the pride or folly of our race. Is it any wonder then 
that the Bible would be seemingly losing its power, when men 
w^ho ought to be its champions in defence of its purity, and of the 
superior morality it contains, are to be found measuring its standard 
of morality by the morality of the ofF-scouring of the earth, moving, 
as it were, heaven and earth, in your endeavours to lay to the Bi- 
ble the barbarism of the past and the present age? But, Sir, the 
Bible spurns such attempts. You cannot hide the cloven foot 
even from the gaze of the community. Then, in the face of all 
this, you would set yourself up as a censor against the errors of 
Universalism, Millerism, Pantheism, Mormonism, Spiritualism, 
aad while lamenting the spread of these errors would set yourself 
up as the defender — the champion — the propagator of an iniquity, 
the wickedness of which cannot be equalled. "If the light that is 
in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness !" 

We have heard the increased clamour against the Bible, &c. 
Do not make yourself uneasy about that, Sir. The Bible is not 



[ 10 3 

to be put down by any such clamour, no matter wlietlier it come 
from mistaken Geology, or the more dastardly attacks of the Pro- 
Slavery apologists. Geology properly investigated and under- 
stood acknowledges the Bible to be true. But Pro-Slavery apolo- 
gists can only see in the Bible robbery, oppression, and wrong. 
But this cannot injure the purity of the Bible. Sir, the attempt of 
Pro-slavery ism to fasten upon the Bible the crime of instituting 
slavery, reminds me of the folly of the fool who attempted to soil 
the sunlight by throwing mud upon it, but to his astonishment the 
sunlight came uppermost, as bright and clear as before. So shall 
it be with Bible slavery propagators : the more filth,, mud, and 
dirt they heap upon the Bible, it will come out so much the more 
clear, while they will become so much the more filthy. Whatever 
injury pro-slavery ism has done was committed against itself, for 
its tongue has set it on fire, the fire of hell, and though its disci- 
ples did all in their power to quench the flame in the last election, 
it cannot be quenched now by any human means until it devours 
the adversary. This, Sir, is the reward of pro-slaveryism — sowing 
the wind, it is now reaping the whirlwind. Sir, it is this iniquity 
for which you are contending, this wickedness which the nation 
has so long nursed and protected, that has now been the cause of 
her having to pass through the eed sea; the cries, the tears, and 
the sufferings which she has endured, and which she must yet en- 
dure, has no parallel, not even in the closing of the Eed Sea over 
the slave-catchers of old. So it has been, so it is, and so it will 
be with every nation that shuts its ears against the cries of the 
oppressed. We have marvelled at the senatorial eloquence which 
proclaimed that it was high time to have an anti-slavery God, and 
an anti-slavery Bible. But, Sir, we have had that always. God 
has proclaimed himself to be " The Lord, the Lord God, merciful 
and gracious." That, Sir, is anti-slavery of the most radical descrip- 
tion; and throughout the whole Bible He has threatened the op- 
pressor with the most severe judgments, and He has never failed 
to inflict it, as He is now doing on the unrepentant; and I defy 
you to show me in the Bible where he has characterized himself 
as a pro-slavery God; and though you are a Bishop, it is impossi- 
ble for you to remodel Jehovah after your own image. 

We have the most positive evidence that the Bible is anti- 



[ 11 ] 

slavery from these words: "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye 
would that men should do to you, do even so to them, for this is 
the law and the prophets." Under the observance of this rule it 
is utterly impossible that slavery could exist; and Christ inti- 
mates that it is not a new rule of life, but that it has been the law 
enforced by the prophets from the beginning. It is thus, Sir, that 
Christ gives you the lie that slavery is a Bible institution. The 
attempt to fasten upon the Bible the crime of instituting slavery 
is the most impudent on record. Slavery cannot be defended as 
right and just except through lying, and it is curious to find that 
the defenders of slavery from the Bible have taken him for their 
model who has said : "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every 
tree of the garden?" This style of lying has become too stale to 
deceive any except those who desire to enter in and support the 
kingdom of lies. In lamenting over the spread of error and erro- 
neous sects, you seem to forget that in that iniquitous system which 
you advocate is to be found the roots of the errors which you de- 
precate, namely — ignorance, pride, superstition, lust of power, 
adultery, and fornication. How much more sinful, think you, is 
it for Mormonism to keep concubines than pro-slaveryism ? And, 
the pro-slavery Gospel that is preached to the American slave makes 
the gaining of heaven the result of good works — is Universalism of 
the worst description; and Pantheism, is it not most rampant un- 
der the system of lies — this is its home ; and what shall we say of 
Millerism — that it is error, but no greater than what the Episco- 
pal or the Presbyterian, or any other church holds on the subject. 
We believe that the church's views concerning the coming of Christ 
are too carnal ; that he does not or will not come robed in created 
glory, or in material paraphernalia — but that he does and will 
come according to the promise, "Behold I come as a thief," and 
this coming must be spiritually discerned before we know its mean- 
ing. To us it does seem strange that the church, with the example 
of the Old Testament church before her, should stumble over the 
same stumbling-stone concerning the coming of Christ. When 
will the church learn that it is vanity and vexation of spirit to be 
thrusting flesh and blood into the kingdom of heaven, but when 
the followers of Christ come to have clearer vicAvs conccrnino- his 
character, taught them by his own Spirit, they will then be ena- 



[ 12 ] 

bled to estimate more correctly wherein consists his true glory and 
his great power, when he comes the second time without sin unto 
salvation. "Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his gar- 
ments clean, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." 

" We have heard the Constitution of our country denounced as a 
covenant with death and hell." Sir, you have made a charge against 
us which you ought to know is false. We have made no such 
charge against the Constitution, but against that wickedness in the 
Constitution]]which gives the strong the power to rob the weak, 
and that it has been a covenant with death any ordinary man may 
see the truth of. That it has been a covenant with hell I am not 
so sure. I have asserted that slavery or the institution of slavery 
has been too mean even for Satan. I say so still, but I believe 
that the Constitution in establishing and protecting slavery has 
been a covenant with Mr. Pride and Mrs. Lazy, and that the 
country is now reaping the bitter fruits of such a wicked covenant. 
" We have heard the boasted determination that the Union shall 
never be restored until its provisions for the protection of slavery 
are utterly abolished." Yes, Sir, allow me to congratulate you 
that you have spoken the truth concerning us; that is just the de- 
termination of the right-thinking men of the nation. I do hope 
that Abolitionists will take no rest day nor night until this great 
wickedness shall be torn from the Constitution and trampled un- 
der foot. Has it really come so low with the church that one of 
her rulers is found lamenting the abolishment of a system of rob- 
bery and wrong out of the Constitution of his country ? " How is 
the most fine gold become dim !" "Eemember therefore from whence 
thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will 
come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his 
place, except thou repent." Sir, the nation is determined to shake 
off the viper of slavery which the framers of the Constitution fas- 
tened on their hands into the fire of its own kindling, and though it 
may grieve you, your grief does not amount to much compared with 
the great and real good to be accomplished; nevertheless, for your 
comfort I would state that yours is not an isolated case. It is not the 
first time, nor will it be the last, that kings of the earth will be 
found lamenting and bewailing when they see the smoke of their 
iniquitous systems ascending up forever and ever; " For strong is the 



Z;^/ 



[ 13 ] 



Lord God wlio judgeth her." Sir, I have great hopes of the honesty 
and honour of the American people. I am sure that they have 
made their last compromise with slavery. I hope that before Mr. 
Lincoln's term expires he will see the necessity of issuing a Procla- 
mation of Universal Emancipation; not under the cowardly plea 
of military necessity, but that he will see that his position calls upon 
him to go before the people in doing what is right and just ; that he 
will see that his proper position is a ruler of the people and not 
their servant ; that he will be enabled to see that in doing so he is 
not transgressing republicanism, which is not a form, but a prin- 
ciple, founded on love, truth, judgment, and mercy: if he can see 
thus, and act accordingly, I make no hesitation in predicting that 
the name of Abeaiiam Lincolx will be valued and honoured even 
with that of George Washington. 

Notwithstanding, we admit Mr. Lincoln certainly would not have 
been our choice for President, but we confess that we have been 
agreeably disappointed in the man; and though we believe his po- 
licy is not what it ought to have been, and though his mistaken 
clemency has been the cause of much suffering to the nation, and 
perhaps to himself; we believe the nation had sinned, and had to 
be punished for its pride and oppression; yet Americans have 
good reason to be proud of their President — as a man of integrity, 
a man that has acted up to the light that was in him, for since the 
days of George Washington no man has filled the Presidential 
Chair with so much credit to himself, and so honourably to the 
nation. I would congratulate Americans on the good effect of the 
war, both upon the people and the country: one of the good effects 
of it is the drawing out by the roots the pulling, wiry, compromi- 
sing spirit that had taken such tremendous hold on the people. 
It has shown them the necessity of meeting their difficulties by 
showing mercy, and not by compromises. We have good reason for 
believing that burning a little gunpowder occasionally is not the 
greatest evil that can befall a nation. We do desire very much the 
prosperity of America, and the progress of the American people to 
the perfecting of a republican government. They may make blun- 
ders; this is to be expected; yet of all nations of the earth I have 
most hopes of America. Still I cannot but express my conviction 
that heretofore they have not been a republican government, but a 



[ 14 ] 

despotism of the very worst description — one that has not only 
trampled upon the rights of their own poor, but has denied their 
nationality, thus adding insult to injury; enslaving both body and 
mind. Ten years ago, when I landed in this country, the nation 
styled their poor— niggers; then there followed a little improve- 
ment, and the nation called them negroes ; now the nation writes 
them coloured people; and I make no hesitation in asserting that 
in a very short time the nation will Avrite them by their proper 
appellation — Coloured American Citizens. It is very curious to 
observe what a different position despotism occupies in this country 
from that of Europe. There it chooses the ruler, here the people. 
And it has succeeded so wonderfully under the pleasing name of re- 
publicanism that it will be the more difficult to drive it out. In Europe 
the despots tyrannize over the people ; here the people trample upon 
their ruler by denying him the right to rule; speaking of him pub- 
licly as their servant. But we know that no man can serve two 
masters, how much less two million masters? he cannot be their 
servant, but their slave. When the ruler of a nation is clothed 
with powers which he ought not to possess, he will certainly in a 
greater or less degree exercise those powers to the hurt of the go- 
verned, or those whom he has in his power ; or if the people take 
those powers to themselves, to which they have no right, they will 
certainly rule despotically those whom they may have in their 
power; and of all despots save me from the despotism of the peo- 
ple; therefore we assert that universal franchise is despotic, and 
will certainly work mischief in the end to any government. 

When we look at the men under whose guardianship the Con- 
stitution took its present form, we could not possibly expect much, 
as the majority of them were not qualified to institute a republi- 
can government. Good men undoubtedly were to be found among 
them as any age of the world has produced, but unfortunately for 
the nation they were in the minority. We are not speaking of the 
form, but the principle on which just governments should be found- 
ed, viz. :— Good will toward men. We confess that when we took up 
the American Constitution, to study it for ourselves, we were griev- 
ously disappointed, the more so from hearing such a good report of 
it — we found that it contained and provided for the oppression and 
the robbery of their own poor, and not only this, but provided for 



I 15 ] 

llie protection and the well-being of the oppressor ; therefore we 
cast it from us as utterly unworthy of the sworn allegiance of any 
intelligent consistent man. Yet we feel sure that Americans will re- 
model their Constitution and cast out this great wickedness, as they 
ought to see by this time that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole 
lump."* I hope they will also see in the future the danger of offend- 
ing these little ones, especially if they are Christ's little ones ; that 
these offences are more dangerous to the stability and welbbeing of 
the nation than an army of one hundred thousand rebels, for we 
thereby provoke the displeasure of the Most High. I also hope that 
when the Constitution is remodelled they will see the danger of 
founding a republic upon sovereignties. We hope for the future 
they will see the inconsistency of admitting sovereignties into a go- 
vernment, for wherever they are found they will certainly rule, if 
not by right, they will by might. We hope the nations will bear 
in mind howthat popular so vereignty and state sovereignty usurped 
the national power, and what they could not usurp they twisted it 
so much out of shape as that it lost its power: then they set up and 
moulded three images of the nation in clay — Fillmore, Pierce, and 
Buchanan ; but instead of falling dov/n to worship the images which 
they hadset up, they caused the images to fall down and worship them. 
Then, under such favourable circumstances, was openly fomented 
and warmed into living life, until it boiled over, the hell broth of 
American Treason — a treason the m.ost damnable, mean, wicked 
contemptible, lying treason, that ever cursed a nation; and I ac. 
€use John Hopkins of Vermont of throwing in his little influence 
in behalf of such treason. 

Such was the position of the Governm-cnt when the people 
called Mr. Lincoln to be their servant, and though he promised obe- 
dience to his sovereigns at first, the nation has great cause for 
thankfulness now, that he was not an image of clay like his pre- 
decessors, but of brass and iron. We are happy to be able to say 
that he has found out that if the nation is to be preserved he must 
rule — not serve; and we hope he will see the necessity of ruling the 
nation for the time being with a rod of iron. This is Heaven's plan of 
ruling a perverse nation, and we believe in it. The wicked in 
every nation ought to be ruled with a rod of iron, and the good 
are a law to themselves. But we believe that although Mr. Lin- 
coln has thus far ruled with a feeble hand, he comprehends the 



[ 16 ] 

need of holding the nation firmly in liis band. We give him credit 
for much foresight, and we believC; if his depth of thought equalled 
his comprehensiveness, he would he not only the wisest, but the 
best statesman that America ever produced. We do not expect 
much of the present legislators — like the people like the priest. 
The people m.ust be prepared for a republican government founded 
on Christian charity and love. The people and the States must 
lay down their sovereignties. There must be only one sovereign 
— the National Government. The people must submit to be ruled, 
not rule; as their ruling heretofore has not been for good, but for 
evil. 

We further assert that nine out of every ten emigrants Avho 
land in this country are not eligible to a vote under a republican 
government, and it seems to me the longer they reside here they 
are the more unworthy, and none more so than my own unfortu- 
nate countrymen, whose national character formerly was unselfish, 
taking side with the weak against the strong, and glorying in it; 
but now. Sir, they have become Americanized, after your image, 
and none are to be found so forward as they to plant their feet 
upon the neck of their weaker brethren who have fallen among 
thieves; and all this corruption and wickedness comes of their be- 
lieving in "this truth whereon you stand," and if their believing in 
this truth has made me ashamed of my counxrymen, is it anything 
strange that I should be exceedingly mad and bitter against it. 
Sir, it is this spurious Americanism which they have learned from 
such as you that has sent them to the polls ten times more the 
child of hell by their becoming Americanized, And this is 
equally true of native-born Americans, If they had anything 
like a correct view of their duty as citizens, party would not 
rule them as despotically as it does. Therefore, we assert that 
there is a large class of persons in this country, as well as in every 
other, to whom the franchise is a great injury, and is in a greater 
degree injurious to the Government under which they enjoy the 
privilege. 

In re-modeling their Constitution we would humbly suggest to 
Americans not to receive any written form of human laws, no 
matter how wisely made, or how carefully guarded, as an infalla- 
ble rule. For the future we believe the nation's wisest course 
would be to leave every human enactment open to repeal or revi- 



/^3 

I 17 1 

sioti. W(^ tliiiik it is self-evident, at least it onirht to be, to evctrv 
reflecting mind, that nations are progressing in the knowledge of 
what their duty is to each other, and to themselves; that nations 
as well :is individuals are beginning to see that their wisest and 
safest course for the future, is to subscribe and carry into practical 
effect, the truth of that good old rule, delivered of old : " To do 
.justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly before God." And 
while this knowledge is only in its infancy, the nation will act the 
wisest that does not hinder by fallible human enactments the 
progression of this knowledge to a higher and higher perfection. 
In futu7'(! they sht)nld not be satisfied with the form, they 
should not be clinging to the letter which killeth. but siiould 
keep their eyes firmly fixed on the true spirit of rej)ubli- 
canism, which is — peace on earth and good will toward men. The 
nation must become Christianized, not after the sect of the Phari- 
sees or the Sadducees, nor after the fashion of the brotherhood of 
Masons or Odd Fellows, or any other Fellows, but when the na- 
tion individually exhibits so much of the spirit of Christ, as to be 
able to deny themselves, as no other system of morals or man- 
ners, no other policy however plausible, except genuine Christianity, 
will enable a nation to overcome its selfishness. It is genuine Chris- 
tianity that will enable the people not to look upon their own, but 
every man on the things of his neighbour: then, and not till then, 
will the nation enjoy a perfectly republican Government. 

Speaking of your ordainer, you say: "I believe as he believed, 
that the plain precepts and practices of the Apostles sanctioned the 
mstitution." Sir, your ordainer and you have believed a lie con- 
cerning the Apostles, and we are thankful that both their precepts 
and practices contradict your statement. A man who is worthy 
of the name will not sanction anything unless his judgment re- 
commends it to be right, just and true, and we are perfectly sure 
the Apostles would not sanction such a wicked institution, and 
your attempt, and that of your ordainer, to slander the Aj^ostles. 
meets with our strongest condemnation. You conclude your letter 
spreading your virtues before your readers— "That you observe 
the feasts and the fasts, the new moons and the holidays, pay tithes 
of all that you possess, and are not as other Publicans." Therefor(^ 
I take leave of you, as such puflfing is beneath criticism. 

Yours truly, JoHN McLaughlin. 

Philadelphia, January 4, 1864. 






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